Roller Coaster Chaos: Couple's Heroic Intervention Leaves Guests Shaken
Thrill-seekers at the Worlds of Fun theme park in Kansas City, Missouri, are reeling after a couple intervened to secure two young girls on the Mamba roller coaster following an alleged seat belt malfunction. The incident occurred on October 11 when Chris Evins and his wife Cassie were riding the tallest coaster in the park with their own children.
According to eyewitnesses, one of the girls behind them announced that her seat belt was not latched, leaving a significant gap between her body and the lap bar. Without hesitation, Chris and Cassie stepped in, holding onto the girls and their friend as the 205-foot-tall coaster hurtled forward at 72 miles per hour.
"It's terrifying," Cassie Evins recalled, describing the experience. "We're not going to let you go." The couple managed to keep hold of the girls until the ride ended, leaving them visibly shaken.
This is not an isolated incident; another guest reported a similar problem with her son's seat belt on the same coaster just one day later. When the car entered its first climb, the mother shouted that her child's seat belt hadn't locked properly. Fortunately, the ride operator promptly stopped and adjusted the seat belt, which was found to be twisted and loose.
Inspectors from the Missouri Division of Fire Safety evaluated the coaster after the incidents and determined that some restraint devices on the Mamba were not functioning correctly. As a result, the ride was taken out of service until repairs could be made.
The park's management has assured that the safety of guests is their top priority, stating that they have implemented modifications to the ride to meet all applicable safety standards. However, for some families like the Evins', that may not be enough.
"We probably won't go back for a while," Cassie Evins said, expressing her concern about returning to the park until she sees tangible changes in their safety measures. The incident has left many guests shaken and questioning the safety protocols of the amusement park industry as a whole.
Thrill-seekers at the Worlds of Fun theme park in Kansas City, Missouri, are reeling after a couple intervened to secure two young girls on the Mamba roller coaster following an alleged seat belt malfunction. The incident occurred on October 11 when Chris Evins and his wife Cassie were riding the tallest coaster in the park with their own children.
According to eyewitnesses, one of the girls behind them announced that her seat belt was not latched, leaving a significant gap between her body and the lap bar. Without hesitation, Chris and Cassie stepped in, holding onto the girls and their friend as the 205-foot-tall coaster hurtled forward at 72 miles per hour.
"It's terrifying," Cassie Evins recalled, describing the experience. "We're not going to let you go." The couple managed to keep hold of the girls until the ride ended, leaving them visibly shaken.
This is not an isolated incident; another guest reported a similar problem with her son's seat belt on the same coaster just one day later. When the car entered its first climb, the mother shouted that her child's seat belt hadn't locked properly. Fortunately, the ride operator promptly stopped and adjusted the seat belt, which was found to be twisted and loose.
Inspectors from the Missouri Division of Fire Safety evaluated the coaster after the incidents and determined that some restraint devices on the Mamba were not functioning correctly. As a result, the ride was taken out of service until repairs could be made.
The park's management has assured that the safety of guests is their top priority, stating that they have implemented modifications to the ride to meet all applicable safety standards. However, for some families like the Evins', that may not be enough.
"We probably won't go back for a while," Cassie Evins said, expressing her concern about returning to the park until she sees tangible changes in their safety measures. The incident has left many guests shaken and questioning the safety protocols of the amusement park industry as a whole.
I mean can you even imagine being on that roller coaster with those two little girls and their friend? It's literally terrifying just thinking about it 
. And I feel for Chris and Cassie, they're basically heroes for stepping in like that. But at the same time, it's not exactly fair to blame the whole park system for something like this when there are probably a million other factors at play. Like, did the girl just forget to buckle up? Was the seatbelt really faulty from the start? I mean, we need more info before we jump to conclusions 
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. So yeah, I'm definitely on board with the park implementing some serious changes and repairs ASAP 
. And to think it was a family ride too... can't believe the park didn't have those seatbelts checked sooner 
. Like, how hard is it to check something like that? Apparently, it's easy enough for kids to notice when they're getting a weird feeling from their seatbelt 
. So yeah, I'm all about safety measures now... can't afford to be lax on this stuff 
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what if those girls were like 10 or something? i mean i get it, parents gotta be responsible but can't they just report that to staff instead of taking matters into their own hands? 
this is like a nightmare come true and im still shaking thinking about it 
. Cassie's comment about not returning to the park until she sees tangible changes resonates with me too... it's time for some serious accountability from theme parks 
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I remember when I was a kid, we used to ride those things all day long without any issues. Nowadays it's like everyone's worried about something breaking or not working right 
It's just a roller coaster, it's not the end of the world if there's a little malfunction 
. I mean, I'm all for safety and all that jazz, but do we need to shut down an entire ride because of one tiny issue? 
It's just too much drama in my opinion 
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. It's disheartening to hear that they're taking the ride out of service but I want to see more than just a quick fix. I need to feel like my kid is protected when we go to an amusement park 
. The fact that there were similar incidents just one day after this incident makes me worried about the park's attention to detail 
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. I feel for the Evanses, staying away from the park till they see some real changes in safety measures. My kids love going to theme parks but safety has gotta be number one 
and now the whole park is shut down till they fix the "problem" 
idk about me but if i was a parent i'd be way more worried than just concerned 
- their swift intervention undoubtedly prevented any potential harm. However, it also raises questions about the park's safety protocols 
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. It's like they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade... but in this case, when life gives you a loose seat belt, step in and save the day! I'm all for thrill rides, but safety should always be the number one priority